Car shows

ORO GRANDE, Calif.--This is the experiment of all robot experiments.

In 30 minutes, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) will unleash 11 driverless cars on a 10-plus mile course here at the former George Air Force Base, as part of its $3.5 million robot race, the Urban Grand Challenge. It will be the first time DARPA has tested fully autonomous cars (with "no animals or midgets inside") driving on a course with other robots, as part of a test of the technology's capabilities as well as its safety, according to Norman Whitaker, DARPA Urban … Read more

Brian Cooley looks at new car technology from Visteon that lets you charge an iPod wirelessly. The eCoupled charging pad can be mounted anywhere in a car, and provides power to an iPod through a special dongle.

The 2007 Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show is the place where serious car geeks go to get their fix. Automakers, tuners, accessories companies, aftermarket parts retailers, and electronics manufacturers gather there to show off their latest gear.

The cars they use to do it are often extremely cool modifications (aka mods) built to inspire. Even the interiors, such as with this Volvo C30 modified by Heico Sportiv, are wild. The show is closed to the public, but we've captured some of the new reveals and far-out mods in our latest SEMA photo gallery.

To check out our first … Read more

A robotic truck, Prius, and family sedan will be among the 11 autonomous vehicles trying to pass their driving test this weekend in Victorville, Calif.

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) said Thursday that it has selected the finalists for its Urban Grand Challenge, a robotic race at the former George Air Force Base with $3.5 million in total prize money. The 11 teams, whittled down from 35 semifinalists in qualifying rounds this week, will compete Saturday. They must drive a 60-mile urban course with live traffic in less than six hours.

Among those in the race are: … Read more

We wrote about Fisker Automotive's sporty plug-in hybrid last week and now here is a picture.

The company is planning to come to market in about 18 months with a high-performance, high-end plug-in hybrid sedan. The car will cost $80,000. It will go about 50 miles on a battery charge, which isn't far, but the car will also come with a built-in gas engine that exists primarily to charge the battery. With the charging capability, the car can go around 620 miles before conking, according to Henrik Fisker, the company's CEO.

With a range of hundreds … Read more

Lexus offers a look at what could be the next generation RX, with an "H" thrown in to signify that it's a hybrid. The grille gets a treatment similar to that of the LS series, while the whole thing takes on a sportier look than current SUVs.

The dopey-looking Puyo has a soft-gel body coating, intended to protect pedestrians, and it glows in the dark, for greater visibility at night--not that you would want to be seen in it. Honda is short on specifics about the fuel cell powertrain the Puyo is supposed to run on.

Subaru's Exiga is a minivan concept that will go into production eventually. Subaru specifies a boxer-style engine and all-wheel-drive, two elements that the company knows how to build. Video screens abound in the cabin, even in place of the rear-view mirror, which would use a camera to show what's behind the Exiga.

Honda felt like it had such a successful launch with the Honda Fit last year, that it already designed a new one. The new Fit looks a tad bit larger, but it represents an evolutionary rather than revolutionary change.